Bengal CEO Assures BLOs of No Punitive Action for Delays in SIR Work :25 November Deadline for SIR Digitisation:

KalimNews, November 24, 2025 : Amid growing protests from Booth Level Officers (BLOs) regarding the excessive workload associated with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Kumar Agarwal assured on Monday that no BLO will face punitive action for delays in distributing or digitising SIR enumeration forms unless intentional lapses are proven. Agarwal also acknowledged that approximately 1.35 per cent of forms, including 6.5 lakh forms related to deceased voters, have been flagged as uncollectible by BLOs. The CEO praised the BLOs’ dedication and clarified that West Bengal remains the only state where no punitive action has been taken during the SIR process.

He also addressed the concerns of BLOs, saying that those who are unable to complete their work due to illness can be replaced. Additionally, Agarwal called on telecom service providers to resolve connectivity issues that have been hampering the digitisation process, which has reached 59.39 per cent completion so far.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has set a deadline of November 25, 2025, for completing the digitisation process, ahead of the original deadline of December 4, 2025. This move follows instructions from the ECI to all District Magistrates, urging them to complete the process before the revised deadline. The Commission has also warned that failure to finish the digitisation work will cause delays in other aspects of the SIR process.

Despite these assurances, several BLOs have expressed concerns over the immense pressure they are facing due to the volume of work. BLOs have reported experiencing severe mental and physical stress, with some citing health issues such as strokes and sudden illnesses. Some BLOs, during training, were seen in tears, overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of their tasks. Many BLOs have cited difficulties in collecting completed forms, data entry errors, and technological glitches, especially with the mobile app used for data collection.

Adding to the pressure, the ECI had introduced an ‘edit’ option on its website to allow BLOs to correct errors in the forms, but this feature was removed shortly after it was implemented, causing further frustration. Many BLOs are not tech-savvy and struggle with mobile data entry, which, combined with the looming deadline, has left them feeling overwhelmed.

In this context, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to the Chief Election Commissioner requesting the suspension of the SIR process, citing the physical and mental toll on BLOs. She also highlighted the issue of BLOs passing away due to the excessive workload. In response, senior TMC leader Suvendu Adhikari wrote to the Election Commission, urging the continuation of the SIR process and reaffirming the party’s commitment to completing the electoral revision.

In her letter, Mamata Banerjee urged the Election Commission to intervene, requesting the suspension of the ongoing process and the cessation of punitive measures. She also called for proper training and support for BLOs and the reconsideration of the current procedures and deadlines. The Chief Minister expressed hope that swift action would be taken to address the issues raised.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission is moving ahead with the SIR process, which involves the enumeration of voters across several states and Union Territories (UTs), including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh. The process commenced on November 4, 2025, and is expected to continue for a month, with the last date for submission of enumeration forms being December 4, 2025.

The SIR exercise aims to update the electoral rolls by identifying and verifying eligible voters in these 12 states and UTs. Every eligible elector will be provided with a unique enumeration form, which will be partially pre-filled. Once the enumeration is completed by December 4, the Election Commission will publish the draft electoral rolls on December 9, 2025.

Voters who fail to submit their filled forms by the December 4 deadline will be given a second chance to retain their names on the electoral list after the publication of the draft list. These individuals will need to fill out Form 6, which is intended for new voters, and provide the relevant details of their relatives as per the SIR enumeration forms. These applications will be subject to a hearing process conducted by the respective Electoral Returning Officers (ERO).

For voters who are not able to submit their forms in time, they will not find their names on the draft electoral list but will have an opportunity to appear in hearings and submit the necessary documents for their inclusion in the final list, which is scheduled to be published on February 7, 2026.

The Election Commission has ensured that no genuine voter’s name will be excluded from the final list. To facilitate this process, the Commission will also organise booth-level camps after December 9 to assist voters in submitting forms and supporting documents.

While the Election Commission is continuing with its efforts, the pressure on BLOs is mounting as they face criticism from both political parties and voters. With less than two weeks to go before the final deadline for submitting the forms, BLOs continue to work under challenging circumstances, balancing the heavy workload with the demand for accuracy and timely completion.